Ruby and the Beast: A Beauty and the Beast Novel by Ditter Kellen

In the wake of her father’s murder, Ruby Atwood returns to New Orleans to seek answers and care for her little brother. Finding that her father was heavily in debt to Lincoln Barone leads Ruby to the mansion of a hooded Beast, who demands she pay off her father’s debt by staying with him for one month.

Cursed for the sins of his father, Lincoln despises the whole Atwood family and plans to ruin and humiliate Ruby, but will her innocence and beauty be enough to bring humanity back to the Beast or will he scare her away forever…as who could ever love A Beast?

REVIEW

I really enjoyed this retelling of the classic tale.

Cursed with voodoo magic, Lincoln was born a beast and destined to stay that way unless he could learn to love and find a innocent to love him in return. Believing this to be hopeless task he had resigned himself to the fate handed him. That is until he sees Ruby Atwood.

Ruby will do anything to ensure that her brother is kept safe and in her care, even if that means giving herself to a man for a month. Not everything in life is as it seems and when she is faced with the reality of her confinement, Ruby finds all the courage she has to get through.

The connection between Ruby and Lincoln is tenuous to begin with and there is a subtle attraction but when they disagree expect explosions. Finding the one woman who will stand up to his beastly ways increases the attraction on both sides.

A modern day fairy-tale with sexual chemistry that would definitely make Belle blush.